Now that it’s finally becoming a reality, an idea that sprouted 15 years ago is charting new territory at Baldwin-Wallace College.

Victoria Bussert, director of the music theater program at the school, began thinking about directing productions of “La Boheme” and “Rent” — simultaneously — when she first took the helm at the school more than a decade ago. One is an opera and the other is a contemporary musical.

“I thought it would be such a great educational experience for the students to understand how artists can be inspired by one another and appreciate each other’s art forms,” said Bussert, who is also a resident director at Great Lakes Theatre Festival.

The hang-up was that the rights to “Rent” weren’t offered to colleges until June 2009. Once they became available, Bussert didn’t waste any time approaching Conservatory of Music Director Peter Landgren about obtaining those rights and pairing the production with “La Boheme.”

“He immediately was behind it and set the wheels into motion,” Bussert said of Landgren. “Everybody stepped up to make it work.”

A year and a half later, Bussert, other faculty, students and an army of helpers are preparing to lift the curtain on the first-ever performances of “La Boheme” and “Rent” in repertory.

Staged together forthe first time

“Rent,” by Jonathan Larson, is modernized musical theater version of Giacomo Puccini’s opera “La Boheme.” Both tell a tale of struggling young artists facing poverty and the dangers of living life on the edge. Stage director Bussert, whose background includes musicals and operas, has directed both productions and thought the young students are the perfect age to perform both variations of the story.

For the first time anywhere in the world, audiences will be able to see “La Boheme” one day, followed by “Rent” the next day, performed by the same cast from Feb. 15-27 in the John Patrick Theatre, Kleist Center for Art & Drama, 95 E. Bagley Road. The productions can also be experienced back-to-back on the same day on the weekends.

“I think for anybody who loves the theater, it’s a great experience to just take the day and immerse yourself,” Bussert said.

It took months of coordinating, practicing and dedication to pull the shows together. The school changed its entire theater season schedule to accommodate the production. Bussert, the cast and crew have been rehearsing since September, alternating which production they focus on each week.

Repertory theater usually isn’t attempted in undergraduate programs, but Bussert, thought the students would be up to the task. Her faith seems to have been well placed, as she has been blown away by the level of enthusiasm and talent displayed.

“The students have exceeded my wildest expectations,” she said.

Some notableperformances

Aside from two graduates in lead parts in “La Boheme,” the cast consists of undergrads, Bussert said. Even the musical director for “Rent” — Ryan Garrett — is a junior at the college’s conservatory. This is another rarity, as students usually don’t assume that role.

But Garrett has experience. He has directed music in performances in his home town of San Antonio, Texas, as well as here in Cleveland. He read about Baldwin-Wallace’s music program on the Internet and decided to come to audition to study musical theater. Once at the school, he took on the focus of musical direction.

“It (‘Rent’) has been a lot of work compared to any other show I’ve done,” Garrett said. “The shows themselves look spectacular, and we’re really bringing out parallels between them. I’m excited to bring the shows to the public.”

The production is causing envy among Bussert’s past students, many of whom have moved on to Broadway and other prestigious stages.

“I’ve been getting e-mails from past students reminding me that I’ve been talking about this for 15 years and saying, ‘We wish we were there now’ and ‘The students don’t know lucky they are,’” she said.

Students are gaining appreciation for forms of music and theater that they hadn’t previously studied, Bussert said.

“It has been a joy to see the music theater kids watch ‘La Boheme’ with an appreciation for the work they’re doing,” Bussert said, adding the same was true for the opera students experiencing “Rent.”

“They have embraced it wholeheartedly.”

Experiences beyondthe stage

For theatergoers who want to learn more about the productions, a series of pre-show talks is offered one hour prior to each performance. The talks, hosted by prominent B-W faculty and other community members, will spotlight various aspects of the show to help spectators better understand and appreciate the production. The schedule of speakers is available at bw.edu.

As rehearsals began to wind down, Bussert noted that what initially appeared to be a daunting undertaking was going surprisingly smoothly.

The set crew is tasked with switching between two different sets on the same stage to establish the scenery for each production. A base layer of metal scaffolding stays in place for both shows and is embellished accordingly in between productions. For “Rent,” metal grating covers the orchestra pit; the musicians occupy part of the stage. The grates are removed for “La Boheme” to allow the musicians, led by internationally known guest conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos, to occupy the pit. The process takes about two hours, Bussert said.

Follow Us

cleveland.com is powered by Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Northeast Ohio Media Group. All rights reserved (About Us).The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Northeast Ohio Media Group LLC.